Sheriff Joe: 'Obama waging war on Arizona'

That terse assessment is from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has tangled with the White House over his investigation of Obama’s birth records, as well as the Department of Justice’s allegations that the sheriff’s department profiles suspects.

Both of those major issues remain unresolved, with Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse review of Obama’s eligibility for the White House continuing. The investigators earlier confirmed there is probable cause to believe Obama’s birth records were forged and presenting them as an official government document is a fraud.

Arpaio also has challenged Attorney General Eric Holder to prove in court his claims that the sheriff’s office profiles suspects.

His comment today was in response to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s decision to suspend for Arizona what is known as “the 287(g) program,” named for a provision of federal law used by DHS to deputize local, county, and state law enforcement officers to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“Evidently Obama didn’t get everything they wanted from the Supreme Court, so they decided to retaliate against Arizona,” Arpaio said.

The administration decision was announced following the Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s State Bill 1070. ICE officials in Washington notified Arizona that ICE agents no longer will respond to calls for assistance from Arizona state or local law enforcement officers regarding illegal immigrants unless the person in question is a convicted criminal, was caught in the act of crossing the border illegally, or is known to be a repeat illegal border crosser.

The high court’s decision on SB1070 was that the state has the right to ask whether suspects are in the United States legally, but cannot provide a punishment for having an illegal status.

“What the Obama administration wants is amnesty,” Arpaio said. “DHS has made it clear the goal is to allow people here illegally to hit the streets.”

Arpaio said his plans of action won’t be changing any time soon, however.

“I don’t plan to bend to federal government pressure,” he told WND, “not as long as there are Arizona state statutes regarding illegal immigration on the books to enforce.”

Arpaio said he predicted a week ago that DHS would rescind Arizona’s participation in the 287(g) program if the Obama administration could figure out an excuse for doing so.

“The Justice Department is going to do everything possible to get rid of me,” he said. “They know I’m going to enforce the immigration laws to the full extent of state law and the Obama administration can’t stand it.”

He said Washington’s reaction to the Supreme Court decision in rescinding Arizona’s participation in the enforcement program was “pure politics” calculated to appeal to Hispanic voters.

“The Justice Department allegations are false that the Maricopa County sheriff’s office has participated in a systematic pattern of discriminating against the rights of Hispanics. Let Eric Holder prove it in federal district court,’ he said.

“All the Obama administration has done in the wake of the Supreme Court decision is to give immigration radicals in Arizona more ammunition to protest against any attempt my office makes to legitimately enforce state immigration laws still on the books.”